Canadian manufacturer of plant-based meat alternatives opening 1st U.S. facility

A Canadian manufacturer of plant-based meat alternative products is investing $20 million in a new production facility in Stanwood, Washington.

No Meat Factory will renovate and improve a facility closed by Twin City Foods in 2017 and is expected to be online at the end of the year.

The Stanwood plant will produce a full line of convenience products including veggie burgers and nuggets, a veggie-based ground beef substitute, seafood alternatives and extruded products such as sausages and wieners.

“We are excited to expand our operations with the acquisition of the Stanwood, Washington production facility,” Leon Bell, NMF founder and Chief Operating Officer, said in a news release from the Washington State Department of Commerce. “This site will also produce exclusively plant-based alternative protein products to satisfy our growing partners’ requirements. In Stanwood, No Meat Factory will realize additional manufacturing capacity for convenience products and provide additional manufacturing capabilities for plant-based deli and sausage alternatives, allowing us to better service the U.S. market through our existing brand owner partners and increase our offering to food service and private-label clients.”

The Canadian company launched its first production line in 2021 and opened a plant in Surrey, British Columbia, in 2022 to accommodate increasing demand. The company also operates an innovation center in Surrey focused on new product development.

The Stanwood plant, NMF’s first in the U.S., is slated to create up to 150 jobs when complete.

A $200,000 state economic development grant to Economic Alliance Snohomish County will support site engineering and development costs as well as initial upgrades.

“Manufacturing is an important part of the state’s economy,” said Chris Green, assistant director for the Commerce’s Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness. “No Meat Factory will provide the community with living-wage jobs and support additional economic vitality in the area as the company continues to grow and expand its U.S. operations.”